Uncategorized

Goodbye ’23, Hello ’24

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh traditions, Holyrood Park, Logan's Close, Music, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

When I woke up on the 1st it was raining, oh I was so tempted to go back to sleep but no, and sure enough by the time I was ready to head out the rain had stopped. The proof of the pudding is in the picture….

Yes, that is a traffic cone on top of the trig point!

Yay, my New Year tradition completed again, no thanks to the high winds – I was lucky not to get blown over to Fife! My concerted effort to be up there relatively early (about 10am) paid off, the hordes had not yet ascended, probably still their beds. After the annual pic, I found a slightly sheltered spot in the rocks for my brunch (chicken sandwich and christmas cake washed down with whisky), just taking time to admire the view and exchange new year greetings with passers-by.

I mentioned in my last post that The Scat Rats were playing Whistlebinkies at 3 in the morning on the 2nd (or technically the 3rd), I didn’t make it. The soul was willing but my flesh and bones decided otherwise, a shame. And I bet you’re wondering how the LC gig went on the 29th – totally and utterly bloody awesome!! Mind, I wouldn’t have expected it to be anything less.

It’s been many years since I was last in The Liquid Room, nothings changed; nice that the stage has enough height to allow plenty of the audience a decent view of the band. There is a balcony round the sides and back, tempting (I’ve never been up there) but I’d got myself a good spot close to the front, so was fine.

The lights dimmed to four scattered spotlights, SeanKeys started playing the opening bars of Dans Le Jardin over and over as the rest of the band came on stage and readied themselves (to rapturous applause, natch); Carl next joined in with a lush guitar sound, followed by Scotty’s velvet vocals (and a natty new top he got for Christmas). And they were off!

The set for the evening was Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi in reverse order, so next up was the magnificent Mock Marble Linoleum, yes! Back for the evening was original bassist Ollie Turbitt (he’s definitely acquired some italiano cool), slotting in fine, obviously enjoying himself, sharing plenty of laughs with SeanKeys.

In the absence of Stu, Gavin picked up some of the harmony vocals (there will be four part harmonies in the future, I hear). Great that he was actually visible, and he is a drummer worth watching.

After the chirpy cheeriness of Merry-Go-Round the rest of the band left the stage to Scott and Carl for Calculations + Guesses. It struck me that by the end Scott’s body language seemed to be trying to belie the emotion of the song, distancing himself from it, perhaps? Next, our two troubadours took us way back to an early tune they wrote, very Beatlesque!

The rest of the band returned with two Logan’s Close classics, Lost In You swirling straight through into Give It To Me, what a night!

From there we plunged back into the new album and Curious Terrain, the other grand baroque opus (the studio version is powerful, live it loses none of the nuance and gains from a full-on performance from the band). From there on to the big guns, Babestation then Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi, gotta say this way round really works well live.

It was around this point I get fuzzy, I think it was after the title track that we were treated to a new song (called So Cold, possibly?), I remember a bottle of Buckfast appearing, Scotty saying something like “I’m changing it”, the band going into I Want You which seemed to throw Ollie and Sean a tad. Well, that all happened, though not necessarily in that order!

I do remember the evening ending with Hot Blondes In Your Area Tonight and the whole place going hyper. Oh lordy, what a grand evening! And what a way for LC to end the year! Can’t wait to see what happens next in 2024 ❤️

Oh, if you’re new to this blog, do yourself a favour and check out Logan’s Close on Spotify or wherever you listen to music, hear what I’m making such a fuss over (and see why on my Instagram reels).

Wishing you all an excellent 2024! Toodle pip!

Nearly time to get Close again

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh, Live bands in Edinburgh, Logan's Close, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Aaand he’s back in the city! Another Yorkshire Christmas done, the luggage back is always lighter but my tum somewhat heavier, hmmm. A few walks up to Arthur’s Seat should sort that out. I was up near the top this morning, it’s frightening how quickly one’s stamina drops from inertia. Got to be back on form for New Year’s Day, you know.

A few folk were up there today

I arrived back yesterday early evening, in time to catch The Scat Rats at Stramash, okay, so a couple of numbers in, as is my usual. Oh, they were so good, gearing up for tonight in the Liquid Room no doubt, both on top form (and no alcohol even for Mr Rough, serious stuff). Loved that they did Paint It Black again, like, WOW!! And You Send Me too, such velvety crooning and exquisite guitar, oh my heartses.

The crooning didn’t end there, oh no, next up were Babyface and the Beltin Boys, yay! This is the third time I’ve seen them in Stramash, hopefully they’ll be over some more next year; they’re rather good. Julen Santamaria has a very distinctive voice, kinda old-fashioned, an almost plaintive tone that’s belied by a throwaway delivery (erm, I know what I mean, not sure you will). The guitar sound is moody and quite atmospheric. If you like a little old-time Americana this is a band to catch.

All in all, a fine evening back in the Old Town. A sweet prelude for tonight. Ah yes, in just half an hour the door into the Liquid Room will be opened, a half hour later the support Night Caller will get the room nicely simmering, ready for a full-on boil when Logan’s Close take to the stage at eight thirty. It’s gonna be so good!! Oh, and I’m having a cheeky wee aperitif of a few numbers from Nicole and the Back-up Crew in Stramash on my way there.

Must go and eat something, just one last thing, the Whistlebinkies listing of The Scat Rats at 3am next Tuesday (2nd Jan) is correct! I checked with them last night. So if you’re in Edinburgh with nothing to do on the 3rd, come and have one last blow-out for the New Year!

Have yourself a Merry Christmas

bruceonthefringe 2023, Christmas, Uncategorized Tags: Leave a comment

Why have a little one? Make it as big and brassy as you like! It’s gone midnight so I must away to my bed before Santa gets here. Here being down in Yorkshireland again, a family affair; I’m on veg duty in the morning!

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas wherever you may be 💛

A wondrous thing indeed

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh bands, Live bands in Edinburgh, Logan's Close, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Messaging with a friend the other day, I mentioned I still hadn’t written a review for Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi, “they must think you hate it by now,” he replied. WHAT!?! NOOOOOOO! I love it to pieces. How good to hear the whole album together, Logan’s Close had been slowly dripfeeding us singles and videos since last October, now all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place, yay.

Ten vignettes, ten tales of human frailties and harsh realities; the lyrics are brilliant, pulling no punches with touches of world-weariness while the music swirls around, setting and shifting scenes, completing each picture. To borrow from David Lynch, these ducks all have their eyes in the right place. Ten tunes that will make you feel, build you up, deplete you, cocoon you in a euphoric haze, shatter your heart to pieces – or is that just me?

Starting off with a bang, Hot Blondes In Your Area Tonight gets your toes tapping, shoulders jiggling, hips swinging, before you know it you’ll be doing the Slosh (a dance from the early 70s). The banging bounciness of the music belies the story in the lyrics, not much of a life being lived here. From one stuck in inertia, to a tale of a relationship turned sour.

Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi paints a vivid picture, like a 60s sitcom in 4 minutes, do check out the video, both sound and vision are beautifully stylised and lush (Read Never leave the dishes for more) . Next up another disillusioned life, Babestation, already a Logan’s Close classic, first performed on the LimbicTV recording, now a regular part of The Scat Rats acoustic set; sublime vocals already especially Carl’s, how did Dennis Rux get them sounding even better?! Atmospheric, sparse with a soft seductive rhythm.

The sense of despondency ratchets up in Curious Terrain, a relationship seriously on the rocks, but don’t let that put you off it! It may take a few listens, but there’s so much to absorb here; foreboding harsh monotones, plaintive harmonies, Scott’s vocals and words cut deep on this one. The rich, brooding guitars and swirling keyboards have a very Deep Purple feel to me.

From the grand baroque of Curious Terrain to the sparse bleak beauty of Calculations + Guesses, if this track doesn’t move you, maybe check you have a pulse. So ends Side 1 on the vinyl; after the sublime inner torment of Calculations + Guesses you may need a moment or two before getting up to turn the record over.

Side 2, new day, new scene; as Gavin sets a jaunty rhythm going I picture a bright sunny morning, our chap steps out his door, and cue the keyboards. Oh yes, for me Merry-Go-Round is like a 60s film musical number, even down to the tempo change at the interlude when a different set of bright young things would dance briefly into shot; that, or a montage scene, someone get Edgar Wright now!

After all that frivolity, it’s time to crash back to reality and Gouching On The 33. Languid and soporific, the spaciousness, the deliciously delicate harmonies, Scott’s velvety tones; a serene portrait of another casuality of life. This is one of the songs Marah and Rough play regularly, it never fails to move me, hmmm, to still me more like. Half & Half has a lot to recommend it, but for me it’s all about the bass, love it; it’s another track that requires a few listens to really tune into and appreciate all it’s charms, but so worth it.

Track 4 (or 9 on the CD) Mock Marble Linoleum is another grand rock opus to match Curious Terrain; again, parts are very reminiscent of early Deep Purple. So many layers and textures to pick up on here, and Scott really goes for it on this tale of a self-delusional, self-loathing character; the sudden ending suggests a car wreck in my mind’s eye.

Dans Le Jardin brings Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi to a bitter-sweet end. A cool, almost nonchalant, wind-down after all the more turbulent tales. And though it’s not a favourite of mine, goddammit, there’s a whole can of earworms in there, bits and pieces of it forever popping up!

So is the album what I expected? You know, I didn’t place any expectations on how it would sound, this is a new thing, a step forward, Logan’s Close were taking a bunch of new songs into a studio, serious time. There was potentially a chance that in the studio LC could become something other; ha, I was 99.5% sure that whatever came forth from Hamburg would be utterly brilliant (0.5% still critically brilliant, but with a but). Oh yay, how right I was!

Treat yourself for Christmas! Order your own Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi on vinyl, CD or digital download. If you’re in Edinburgh between Christmas and New Year, do yourself a favour and grab a ticket to see Logan’s Close at the Liquid Room on the 29th ( I think there’s still some available). It will be awesome!!!

Now I must away to my bed. Good night, sweet dreams!

A post starts with a single word

bruceonthefringe 2023, Films, Horror, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey! It’s been three weeks since my last post. I seem to have lost the ability to communicate, not sure where I put it! I’ve tried a number of times to start a new post (two drafts are as far as I got) but everything empties out of my head, numbness, or my old enemy procrastination takes over. So, one word at a time, like those single steps in a walk.

The last two evenings I went to the cinema. Even cinema-ing has slipped by the wayside recently, mind, the miserable wet dark nights may have had a hand in that. Tuesday night I saw Bottoms and while it was “a teen sex comedy” the title is meaningless, like it was a working title that they forgot to update. Once I got in the rhythm and pace of it (fast, high schoolers speak really fast, hardly drawing breathe, with a weird logic of their own) I really enjoyed it. Two high school girls set up a girls fight club in hope of some girl action for themselves; ooch, please don’t judge me as sleazy! Bottoms was just on my maybe-watch list, then Edgar Wright said it was tops on Instagram, that’s what swung it for me.

Last night I procrastinated again, going off to see Five Nights at Freddy’s anything rather than sitting staring at my tablet. I’m aware that it’s based on a very popular video game, a video game I’d never heard of, let alone ever played. Somehow I was under the impression it was a comedy horror (no, I have no idea why), and it’s rated 15, how scary could it be? Not particularly scary as it turned out but the first five minutes had me wondering! The threat of gore and violence is never far away but not actually seen much. FNaF turned out to be more of a supernatural horror film slowly revealing the truth bit by bit, it certainly kept my interest. The animatronic puppets were very creepy but what really made the film for me was the lack of annoying “give away” incidental music. Certainly the quietness cranked up the suspense in the film, but maybe it helped that I had no foreknowledge of what was on the cards.

Okay, so I’ve managed to break my own silence, maybe tomorrow I’ll get on and write some more. Time to pop up to Stramash as Baby Face and the Beltin’ Boys are on at ten.

Toodle pip!

What my procrastination gets up to at it’s worst….

I know my onions, yes I do

bruceonthefringe 2023, a rant, Comedy, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Fringe Awards, Sooo fringe, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Have you seen the price of onions lately? Okay, so I don’t pay much attention to the price of staples usually, but when a bag of three, yes, three is £1.10 in the local Tesco’s!! In a bag too (why?), I prefer to pick my own, especially at that price (bagged vegetables have a nasty habit of having the odd dodgy one, don’t you find?) No, I didn’t buy any onions there. And breathe.

I missed the anniversary of the first Bruce On The Fringe Fringe Awards yesterday. I say I missed, hmm, missed or procrastinated the entire day?! The double Fringe there was deliberate, by the way, in case of any non-Fringe Awards I choose to bestow in the future, you never know. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook (and why not??) you may have noticed the latest pic on my storyline featuring flyers and cut-outs, and so, without further ado,

Mesdames et monsieurs, ceux entre et ceux au-delà, welcome to the Bruce on The Fringe Fringe Awards 2023!

Best Epic Fantasy Adventure: Shadow Kingdom

Best Double Feature: Voloz Collective with The Man Who and The Life Sporadic

The Pugwash Trophy: Max Norman: A Pirate’s Life For Me

As the Actress Said: to the Bishops

Best Flounce: Yippee Ki Yay

Best Bedcaps: Finlay and Joe: Past Our Bedtime

Best Blood and Gore: How to Eat a Bear

Best Game of Jenga (ever): Laser Kiwi: Rise of the Olive

Best Docucomedy: The Last Gun

Loveliest Fringe Thing: Mark Twain’s The Stolen White Elephant

Best Fringe Follow-up: Grubby Little Mitts: Hello, Hi

Most Beguiling Poster: Ginzel’s Little Cordoba: A Double Bill

Best Aidan on the Fringe: joint winners, Aidan Goatley and Aidan Sadler

Yes, maybe a couple pictured didn’t make the final cut but they were so so close. And what? No Best Musical Moment nominees this year?! Nope, my favourite, hands down winner will be on Instagram shortly. That’s it from me, and thank you to everyone who brought shows to Edinburgh this August, I may not be real, but for a few weeks there you made me feel alive ❤️

A little procrastination

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh Fringe, Live bands in Edinburgh, Reviews, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Hey there! It’s a hot, sunny day here in Edinburgh, someone turned the temperature dial back up! I’m inside, oh, sat beside a wide open window, net curtain blowing in the breeze; there’s five or six more days of this forecast, so I’m good. Been looking through my Fringe diary; forty-one shows, three repeats, flyering and all the sordid details in between.

I stick in the occasional tiny picture found in some Fringe publication or other, to help refresh the memory in years to come. Not that I found many pics this year, the likes of Fest and The List don’t bother much with the sorts of shows I like. Aidan Goatley does a bit about The List in his show, I am fully with him there (no, we’re not fans). The odd newspaper supplements I’ve cast an eye over, rarely mention anything of interest to me. Hey, I’m the alternative! Well, one of them, a wee niche of dark whimsy.

What categories will there be at this year’s Bruce Awards? Last year there were Sweetest, Sexiest, Silliest Fringe Things, all had pretty clear front runners then, but not this year. It seems anything I come up with, there’s always more than one choice, which is bloody stupid as, i) I’m the one making up categories, ii) now I’ve started this I cannot cheat it, really I can’t! Even something like Most Fruit Inclusive, there’s three to choose from, and now I’ve thought of them I can’t unthink them.

I’m going to let them mull things over and go enjoy the sunshine. It’s the first weekend of the month which means the Handsome House Jam are playing at Stramash this evening at seven. This week’s guest host is Austen George a local singer-songwriter, one third of the rather bloody brilliant Miracle Glass Company. I’ve not seen him playing outside of MGC before, I’m looking forward to it. Some good music, a drink or two, just what I need. Maybe I’ll return to my cave inspired!

I’ll leave you with a few pics of posters from the Fringe, just random posters. Toodle pip!

Once in a blue moon

bruceonthefringe 2023, Holyrood Park, Music, Uncategorized, Walking around Edinburgh Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hands up who went out to see the blue supermoon last night? Needless to say, there were plenty moonwatchers in Holyrood Park for it, though early views were looking doubtful with the eastern horizon being swathed in cloud. Of course, the rest of the sky just had nice pretty bits of cloud around.

I headed up on to the Nether Hill while there was still plenty of light, but the evenings are no longer nicely balmy, I decided to head down on to the top road. The views over East Lothian are perfectly fine there, it was getting quite dark enough as I made my way down the hillside, I surprised a few rabbits along the way (haha, autocorrect wanted to change that to rabbis!).

It always surprises me how quickly the moon moves when one just watches it. I couldn’t figure out if the star above it to the right was pulling the moon behind it, or, was it running away and the moon was in pursuit?! I strolled slowly round the road and on to Echo Rock (possibly not a wise move in the dark but by that time I was embolden by the music I had playing in my ears), all the while playing peekaboo with the moon.

I even dared to walk along the ridge leading to St Leonard’s Bank just to prolong my moonlit jaunt; what with the moonlight and music, it was a moment! No, I wouldn’t say I was dancing in the moonlight, just grooving with the beats provided by the likes of Dr Feelgood (staccato stepping with Roxette), Manfred Mann, The Troggs (a spot of dog walking) and, of course, plenty of Logan’s Close in the mix there. Okay, so there may have been the occasional moment when my exuberant hip swaying sauntering may have been mistaken for dancing. Man, it felt good!

Ah, it’s just after midnight, goodbye August, gonna miss you. Time for good mooses to head to bed, more musings tomorrow. G’night, all!

The circus has left town

bruceonthefringe 2023, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Live bands in Edinburgh, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

And that’s it all completely over for another year. Only the larger venues show any signs that something was going on for the past month. I took myself up into the Park today, blow the old Fringe away. I didn’t make it up there for the Comedy Extravaganza, it was just too windy (extremely), I could have been blown over to Fife! Oh, and the Miracle Glass Company were playing at the same time on the corner of the Mound and Princes Street, those two factors combined, well!?

As usual the southern hordes descended upon the town for their Bank Holiday weekend. I braved going to Stramash for the Cumbiatones on Saturday evening, ye gods, it was packed! I didn’t dare take to the dance floor, choosing instead to sway and watch the undulating mass from above (and the upstairs bar wasn’t half as busy).

Sunday evening saw me flaked out on my sofa, lack of self-care had finally caught up with me. A tad annoying as I had half a mind to see the Blueswater at the Jazz Bar at midnight; or the ACMS Awards night at Monkey Barrel 1 at 5 to midnight, they were so good last year! And they inspired me to come up with my own awards, which I fully intend to consider and debate with the voices in my head, more to come on that. Nope, I only stirred to put myself to bed, bah.

Ah, but tonight I get to neatly bookend this year’s Fringe as the Scat Rats are back at Whistlebinkies at midnight, as they were four weeks ago. I shall leave you with pics of Messrs Marah and Rough. Expect roundups and moose awards soon, toodle pip!

The Final Push

bruceonthefringe 2023, a rant, Comedy, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Half Price Hut, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

At the start it stretches ahead, but now it’s shortening unseemingly quickly. Now it’s the beginning of the final weekend, hoards descend upon the town from Down South, party time! Then from the aftermath of Saturday night, everything just fizzles out. Sunday morning some shows and venues are already packing up. Still, one more blow out on Sunday night, hey? Before more packing up with sore heads Monday morning.

Monday the last remaining flyerers will scrabble around looking for the last punters, it can be quite tragic to witness! Those final few are probably very glad to depart what feels like a ghost town by Tuesday. Yes, I know it isn’t, dur, but for those few Fringe workers still around, all the Fringey places that were so full of life are now empty. Like I’ve said before, let’s end the Fringe on the Sunday, hey, the official start day has been brought forward over the years, so too can the end date.

Anyway, there’s flyering to be done and shows to see, a Half Price Hut to check. I’m not sure how much the HPH list gets updated this year, there may be some additions later on?! I notice that Mark Twain’s The Stolen White Elephant (5☆ from me) and How to Eat a Bear (4☆) are on there again.

Also on, I saw them the other night but haven’t got to writing a review, the utterly fabulous (and even more talented than I’d perceived them to be from our many chats) Aidan Sadler with their new show Melody, well worth 5☆. All their own songs too! Not on the HPH list yet, but it has appeared plenty, Yippee Ki Yay, I saw it yesterday, intrigued as it’s a different actor from last year and oh boy, so, so, so glad I went 5☆!

Oo, just glanced out of my window, it’s teeming down out there!! Jeepers! On the one hand flyering will be bloody soggy, on the other, folk will be more inclined to go indoors. This last week has been mostly sunshine with gentle warm breezes, folk wanted to make the most of it, not sit in stuffy dark rooms in the middle of the day.

Ah well, no rest for the wicked! I must have caffeine and away, but I’ll leave you with a quick list of shows that I’ve enjoyed this year, for your consideration this final weekend. I’ve scribbled it down quickly from looking at my Fringe schedule, so some may not be on any more.

Have a great day, whatever you’re doing, mes amis!